It is impossible to browse the homepage of Welsh illustrator Tom Hovey’s website without feeling hungry. Throughout his career, he has created a mouth-watering menu of delicious foods, from burgers to boozy ice creams.
Even if you are not familiar with Hovey by name, you have likely seen his illustrations on TV during the Great British Bake Off. Since the show’s first season in 2010, he has illustrated the showstoppers and signatures.
Hovey’s passion for drawing began at a young age, and he pursued an education in art and design, discovering the world of illustration in college. Despite his initial uncertainty about his career path, he continued to develop his skills in different mediums.
Inspired by artists like Ralph Steadman and Gerald Scarfe, Hovey experimented with political illustrations during his university years. Despite not following in the footsteps of his favorite illustrators, he continued his analog approach to art.
As social media emerged, Hovey became involved in group exhibitions and collaborated with other artists in London. Despite the lack of financial stability, he continued to create art and explore different opportunities.
While he never had a concrete plan, Hovey’s idealistic approach to his art led him to pursue freelance work. Although he initially struggled with low pay, his goal was always to make a career out of his passion for illustration. „If I can’t make a go of it full time by 30, I’ll consider something else,“ he confesses. However, an opportunity presented itself right around the corner.
A friend who Hovey lived with in Bristol after university ended up working in television and helped him get his foot in the door for the first season of The Great British Bake Off. While the initial pay wasn’t significant, Hovey saw it as a way out of doing things he didn’t want to do.
In the beginning, he worked full-time on the show and created Bake Off illustrations in his spare time, but now he has a well-oiled system with the help of interns who he often hires as freelancers after training.
For fans of the show wondering how the illustrations come to life, Hovey explains that photos of the finished bakes are taken on set while the tent is being cleaned up for judging. He receives labeled versions of the photos and details about the main ingredients to inform his illustrations.
Despite enjoying his work on the show, Hovey didn’t want it to define him as an illustrator. He explored other food illustration projects during the show’s off-seasons and found joy in working on different projects.
One of his favorite projects was creating a poster for Bristol rock band Idles, which addressed topics like toxic masculinity. Hovey also had the opportunity to work on editorial commissions and self-initiated projects, which he plans to do more of in the future.